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I’ve heard this argument—“Why would you want to give your money to a business that doesn’t want to serve you anyway?” Well, in theory, no, you don’t. However, allowing this to be “the answer” just leads to the type of isolation, separation and de facto segregation that makes people think that discrimination is OK or justified. Because I think there are a lot of people in the world who don’t know, or at least think they know, any gay people very well. They don’t have much opportunity to interact with them, and so they find it easy to make judgements about a faceless group of people. (Or to judge them based on some stereotype they saw on a sitcom once.) But if they were forced to interact with real people on a regular basis, then they would get to KNOW them. They would realize that they are human beings too. Some of them are good, some of them are bad, just like every demographic, race, religion, etc. But you owe them the opportunity to prove you wrong.

To quote a poignant episode of the Simpsons:

“Homer, I won your respect, and all I had to do was save your life. Now, if every gay man could just do the same, you’d be set.”

Five places in California I’m really glad I’ve visited

1. Bodie State Historical Park in Bridgeport (near Mammoth Lakes): A real ghost town, not a cheesy tourist attraction, held in a state of arrested decay. Very seldom do Americans get to feel so … desolate. What started as a back-up when Yosemite was closed turned into a very memorable excursion!

2. Drive up Highway 1: This and Route 66 may just be the nation’s most iconic road trips; and I’d venture to say this is the more majestic of the two. Ocean views and bridges most of the way make this a bucket list-worthy trip.

3. San Diego Zoo Safari Park: If you are used to regular zoos, this place is a whole new world. More space, a more natural setting, and an awesome safari area where the animals that won’t eat each other are all mixed in together.

4. Mammoth Lakes: this was another destination that started as a “consolation prize” when Yosemite was closed; but it was truly beautiful country. Lakes, mountains, waterfalls, trees and a change of scenery. It was literally a breath of fresh air.

Some years ago, some good friends got us hooked on Disneyland. Turns out the original place for kids and families is a heck of a fun place to go without kids. Though we enjoyed the freedom and agility of being child-free, we were always taking notes for future family trips. And now, we’ve ventured there a few times with our own little Mousketeer. It’s by no means comprehensive, but here are some tips on making Disney work for you with your kids in tow.

Overall tips:

Use the fast pass system. They are free and you pick them up near the entrance to the rides. Then, you come back at the time printed on the fast pass, and get to jump a large part of the line. You can have one at a time in each park. (There’s also a time printed on the ticket, after which you can pick up a second pass in that park.)

If you do want to stay overnight, all 3 hotels on site are lovely; Paradise Pear is their basic but very nice property; Disneyland Hotel is classic and magical (complete with a mini-light show in your headboard); and the Grand Californian is the high-end, beautiful, California craftsman-style hotel; it has an entrance right into California Adventure. The other two are a short walk from the parks.

If you don’t want to take a stroller (though there is stroller parking everywhere), or just want to travel a little lighter, you can stash a backpack in a locker so you don’t have to carry kid supplies with you everywhere. There are lockers in both parks near the entrance, and also lockers in the area between the two parks, in case you want your stuff to be a little more accessible from both parks.

BABY SWITCH PASS! If you want to ride big-people rides, but don’t want to confine your kiddo to a long line wait with no payoff, send one parent in and ask for a baby switch pass at the entrance. Parent 1 waits in line, rides the ride, comes out, takes over on parenting duties, and then hands the pass to Parent 2, who slips in the exit or the Fast Pass line to take their turn. Oh, Disney, you’ve thought of everything!

There is an amazing baby center on main street, with high chairs, miniature furniture, nursing rooms, supplies for purchase, etc. A lifesaver if you’ve got a really little one!

Many thanks to the Hairpin for posting this; what a well-reasoned and respectful argument. It can be difficult to argue rationally with someone you perceive to be very irrational about something; and easy to just avoid these kinds of tense discussions with family.